Sookie Abandoned?
by JustAnotherTwilightFanGirl
Summary: Bill is missing, and Sookie doesn't know what to think. Did he leave intentionally? How will she manage without Bill. And what does Eric really want. Eric/Sookie.
1. Abandoned?

**Please review, I'd like to continue the story, and I'd like to know if it's any good. Thanks (:**

Sookie Stackhouse lay on her bed, staring at the shadows dancing on the ceiling. There wasn't much light out that night; the moon had hidden its self away, almost as if it too was mourning the loss of Bill. No. She must not say that. Bill was not gone, he was just… missing. Lost. Almost as lost as she was.

She found it difficult not to blame herself. Had she stayed with him; said yes to his proposal immediately, he might still be with her. Sometimes Sookie even had to ask herself if he had _chosen_ to leave. Maybe he had seen that tiny speck of doubt in her eye. Maybe he had realised her true feelings. Maybe he felt how confused she was.

But confusion means nothing. All couples get confused about their true emotions. All people develop feelings for someone they know they should not. It wasn't her fault that she had been gullible enough to drink from Eric. Silly her for believing there was more to him. Surely Bill had known that she would never leave him for Eric Northman of all people. _Perhaps this was all Eric's fault._ Sookie had considered this notion ever since she had realised Bill was missing. She liked to consider this as a possibility, but the truth was that she had no one else to blame but herself, and she knew it.

Eric. That was another problem altogether. Ever since their trip to Dallas, Sookie had being feeling unusually fond of him. Perhaps it was the blood bond that he had so slyly tricked her into creating. All logic suggested that this was the case, that her feelings of comfort, love… and lust were out of her control. Yet Sookie still doubted this. She still chose to believe that she was to blame for these feelings, that it was her own mind that was creating these fantasies or them being together. Sookie was tearing herself apart inside because she refused to admit that she was feeling the full force of a blood bond with a vampire as old as Eric. _That was why Bill left._ The thought echoed throughout her mind. _Silly little fangbanger. _ She knew it wasn't true. No one had fed from her but Bill.

_Maybe Bill was taken by force. Kidnapped. Ha._ The idea was laughable. Things like that didn't happen in Bon Temp. Sure, the quiet town had its fair share of vampires, shifters, murders and telepaths, but not kidnappers. There was nobody worth kidnapping here. Who would want to take Bill? Who would shatter her life like this?

Getting up from the bed, Sookie went to look in the mirror. Her golden hair had lost its healthy glow, and had faded to a dull straw colour. Her usually radiant skin had lost its brilliance and the trademark twinkle in her eye had vanished completely. Her face felt taut from the endless stream of tears. She had been reduced to a pathetic mess, and what Sookie hated the most about this was that she hadn't done this to herself. A man had done it to her. Not even a man- a monster. Sookie never usually agreed with judging an entire species by one example, but she was so depressed and furious with what she had been reduced to, that she made an exception.

Life without Bill had been hollow and pointless. Sookie's life now consisted of work and tears. Sometimes when she cried she felt as though she could feel Bill trying to comfort her, but the fact that he wasn't actually there to do it made her heart ache even more. She also knew that Bill would be able to feel her pain, her desperation. She even cried for an entire week, non-stop. When he did not return then she came to two conclusions.

One: he was dead and could not return to save her from her misery. Or two: he simply did not care. Sookie sometimes wondered if her hesitation when he proposed had led him to believe that she did not love him. She was unsure which conclusion wounded her more. As she contemplated this, her thoughts were interrupted by a loud hammering at the front door. As it was well past midnight, Sookie armed her self with a shotgun and cautiously descended the staircase.


	2. A Brand New Start

**Sorry the last chapter was so short. It looks a lot longer on Word.**

As Sookie made her way further down the stairs, the hammering at the door intensified. Sookie froze. All of a sudden she became aware that she was nothing more than a fragile little human, dressed in little more than her underwear. She doubted that she had even remembered to load the gun. This was another harsh reminder that Bill was gone. He could no longer protect Sookie from the evils of the world. She was alone and this thought terrified her. For years she had fought for independence; for months she had begged Bill to relax. "_I'm a big girl Bill. I can look after myself_". How Sookie regretted saying that now. Sookie had been so proud of herself, for having a relationship with a vampire. Maybe a part of her thought that it made her stronger, braver… better. But she had been wrong. She had deluded herself, made herself _think_ that she was indestructible, when in reality, she was very, very fragile.

Stood in the middle of the staircase, Sookie was torn between answering the door, and running back upstairs to bed. She knew which one would be safer, and which one sounded the most logical thing to do, but still, for some reason, she wanted to answer the door. She could not make up her mind, and before she realised what she was doing she had sat down on the stairs, staring blankly at the door. _Let whatever monster that's at the door get me_ she thought. Suddenly she found herself in a fit of giggles. She was hysterical. For months she had surrounded herself with vampires and shifters and maenads and many other supernatural creatures. None of those 'monsters' had ever harmed her. Except for one. Except for Bill.

The house around her disappeared, and Sookie found her mind wandering to the first time she saw Bill, back at Merlotte's. She remembered the silent stranger, sat alone at a table, staring off into the distance. She remembered that irresistible urge to go to him; to comfort him. She was drawn to him so powerfully, but she had wanted that attraction, like a moth to a flame. Sure enough, she got burned.

"For fuck's sake Sookie, I have tried to be polite, but now I see that I have no choice but to knock this Goddamn door off its hinges" bellowed the very familiar, condescending voice of Eric Northman. Sookie snapped back to reality, and in an instant, all of her fear and sadness melted away, replaced immediately with blazing fury. She stormed over the door, yanked it open and glared at the man before her. Sookie was just about to scream at Eric for scaring her this late at night when she took in his appearance and stopped herself.

She had never seen Eric look so bad. Her anger seemed to disappear, and her annoyance simmered down (apart from the very tiny, very selfish annoyance that Eric could look so bad and yet still look so good). He was stood there, with blood pouring down his face and dripping onto his beautifully sculptured bare chest. Pink stain marks were also highly visible in contrast to his pale white skin. Sookie was wondering what had made Eric so miserable when he stormed past her and threw himself onto her couch.

Sookie smiled to herself. Any other man would look uncomfortable, or out of place on her floral sofa, but not Eric. Placing herself on the opposite sofa, she watched Eric and waited for an explanation. She didn't have to wait too long.

"Will you stop sulking over that foolish vampire of yours? I cannot stand to feel like this any longer. If I had known that this stupid blood bond would make me feel like this, I wouldn't have been so keen to make one with a human as pathetic as you."

Sookie was speechless. She was still trying to take in what he was saying. She managed to stammer out an: "Excuse me?"

"I am feeling your emotions more intensely than I had ever anticipated. I am assuming that that is the reason why I have constantly been in tears since Bill disappeared, as I personally could not care less."

"How _dare_ you say that," Sookie screamed as her rage intensified. "How dare you even talk about him? He was a better man than you'll ever be- you don't deserve to even say his name Eric."

For a moment, Eric sat completely still, with a look of amazement across his face. Sookie herself was also confused at her sudden outburst. Just moments ago, Sookie had been so keen to judge Bill, to hate him for leaving her, and yet she was so quick to jump to his defence. Love is a curious thing.

"Well, well Ms Stackhouse, I would never have expected such a passionate display from you. If I had known that Bill's disappearance would have such an effect on you, I would have personally seen to his kidnap a long time ago, I like my women aggressive," he said with his trade-mark cocky smile playing across his face.

At that, Sookie leapt across to the other sofa and seized Eric's throat, trying to strangle him, suffocate him, make him pay for what he just said. How dare he even joke about a thing so serious? Sookie beat at him with her fists, again and again. Eric just sat there. When she eventually finished her attack, she slumped into Eric's chest. Although it was cold and hard, it offered some comfort, and that was what she needed. It felt as though all of her energy was slowly but surely leaking out of her and all she wanted to do was curl up and feel safe in somebody's arms. Amazingly, Eric didn't protest at all; he just held her, stroking her hair.

Why did Eric have to be so complicated? Why did he have to confuse her, and contradict himself time and time again? He was so determined to maintain this ruthless, uncaring façade, yet beneath his hard exterior, was someone with feelings… someone almost human. Sookie smiled through her tears; he was almost like a candy. He was so alluring, and hard on the outside, yet once you broke through that, you reached the nice, gooey centre which Sookie was getting more and more used to seeing.

"I know this hurts lover, but you can do so much better than Bill Compton. You are a very special human, and if there is one thing I have learned in my 1000 years, it's that life goes on. Love goes on. You are destined for great things Ms Stackhouse, but only if you can see past this... this inconvenience. Now sleep my dearest Sookie. Sleep."

When Sookie woke is the morning, she was certain she had dreamt the entire encounter, yet when she went into the living room, there lay her shotgun on the table with a note:

_A brand new start. Cheer up. For my sake. Eric._


	3. Taking Eric's Advice

**Oh, and by the way, Sookie **_**may**_** have suspected Bill had been kidnapped, but I thought it'd be better for my story if she doubted Bill, I figured then she'd concentrate less on finding Bill, and more on getting close to Eric *winkwink*.**

**In case I haven't previously mentioned, I own nothing, although I wish I owned the lovely Eric Northman. All characters belong to their respectful owners, and I am making no money off this. Please don't sue.**

Sookie smiled to herself, and decided to take Eric's advice (there's something she thought she'd never do). Starting from that day, she vowed to be a new woman. She promised herself to live life as it used to be; fun and _single_. She decided to live on the edge for once, now that she didn't have Bill to tell her to "be careful". So Sookie called all the girls, and arranged to go out with them that night.

Sookie looked into the mirror and gasped. She had realised that she had been looking a bit unhealthy for the past few days, but she had not realised how pale and ill she had been looking. She barely recognised the girl in the mirror. Sookie had vowed never to use a tanning bed, but the prospect of going out without a tan was just as bad as going out naked to her.

**_later that night_**

Sookie had no idea how much she had had to drink, but a tiny (rather irritating) voice in the back of her mind was telling her that it was too much. She couldn't think straight, couldn't walk straight and certainly couldn't see straight. All she could think about was how nice the gentlemen at the bar were being. The one thing that was _seriously_ getting on her nerves was the fact that her high level of intoxication was affecting her ability to keep out the thoughts of those around her. Luckily enough, the drunker she got, the less she paid attention to what they were thinking. Gullible little Sookie continued to thank the men all night, and when one of the men, Doug, offered to give her a ride home, she thought that it was nice to know there were still some decent people around. Had she been sober, she would have heard what he was thinking. As soon as they had driven away from Merlotte's, Doug's attitude rapidly changed.

Although she was barely aware of it, Doug had stopped the car in a patch of trees just off the road on the way to her house. If anyone was driving along the road, they would not be able to them, as the dense shrubbery was hiding them away; in their own private world. Doug leaned in real close to her, and she was suddenly overwhelmed by a stench of cheap vodka, though she was unsure if that was coming from him or her. He was getting too close now, forcing himself upon her. She didn't like it, but her feeble attempts to fight him off were no use, and he was becoming increasingly pissed off with her. He slammed her head off the dash board, and Sookie's world disappeared temporarily, replaced with a flash of white and a high pitched ringing. Sookie couldn't stop herself from sobbing uncontrollably. He dragged her into the back seat and climbed on top of her, holding her down with one hand, and ripping her dress off her with the other. As Sookie begged for her release, she realised her pleads were no use. He was much too powerful for her, and he was getting closer and closer to violating her (luckily, she had chosen to wear stockings which slowed him down considerably because he was drunk too). Finally she realised that she had only one option.

"Eric! Eric!" she screamed with growing desperation. Bill wouldn't save her, and although she thought that Eric wouldn't care for her, she knew that the pull of the blood bond would lead him here.

It only took a minute or two for Eric to reach the car, and until then, Sookie had been able to keep her attacker at bay. Just as she was giving up hope, someone opened he door and Doug was thrown out of the car. Scrambling to get up and see what was happening, Sookie got up just in time to see Eric sinking his fangs into Doug's neck. Doug screamed and thrashed about, trying to escape Eric's iron grip. His attempts to escape were as pathetic and useless as her had been.

_Let him die_ said a voice in her head. Sookie was shocked at her own ruthlessness. She knew that letting Eric maul Doug to death wasn't right. Sure, her attacker deserved to suffer, but she had a feeling that he had suffered enough. She sobered up and made her decision.

"No! Eric stop! Please Eric, see sense!" Sookie pleaded as she desperately tried to place herself between Eric and Doug. She forced Eric to look into her eyes, which seemed silly because she knew that she could not _force_ Eric to do anything. They stared at each others eyes for only a second, but it seemed much longer. Sookie felt as if she could see past his beautiful blue eyes and into his soul- if a creature such as him had a soul.

"(To Doug) You pathetic bastard! Give me one good reason to show him mercy, Sookie." He seemed to be at the end of his tether, she had to think of something good.

"Because I asked you to."

It was the best she had. It was all she had. This piece of scum didn't deserve to live, but for some reason, she didn't want to let Eric kill him. If she did that, the blood was on her hands too. She didn't know if it was the alcohol, or some kind of new found confidence, but she knew that Eric would stop for her. She just knew.

Sure enough, Eric slowly released his prisoner (who left his car and ran off into the woods), making sure not to break eye contact with Sookie. Still maintaining this intense eye contact, he swept her up off her feet, and returned her home, to her bed. They lay on their sides, facing each other for hours; just watching the other person. She watched his eyes, his beautiful eyes. He watched her breathing, and listened to her soft sighs. Eventually Eric sat up and Sookie knew it was getting close to dawn- Eric had to leave. She smiled a sad smile and he cheekily winked goodbye. Typical Eric, ruining a perfect moment with his confidence. For some reason, she didn't mind. She had come to accept the many sides of Eric Northman, no matter which side he decided to show.

For the rest of the day, Sookie just lay there, smelling the sheets where Eric had been. He smelt like all of her favourite things… like freshly mown grass; new books; sun cream… Gran. He managed to smell of all these things together, and she assumed that it was part of his vampire magnetism; designed to draw in innocent prey. _I am more than happy to be Eric Northman's prey _she decided. Gradually, she drifted off into a beautiful sleep, with dreams that were full of Eric.

Across town, Eric smiled in his sleep, as Sookie filled his head with wonderful dreams.


	4. Doug's Vanishing Act

**Thanks for all of you who have added my story to your favourites, and an even bigger thank you to all my reviewers (: I love the Eric/Sookie relationship, and I am always eager to hear ideas, suggestions or improvements (: I'll update as often as I can, but I have school, and lots of coursework to do. Also, my mum won't let me have the laptop in the bathtub too often, and I come up with some of my best ideas in the bathtub (strange, I know). Once again, I own nothing.**

The next few days passed in a blur. Sookie was doing ridiculously long shifts at Merlotte's, because Arlene was going on numerous dates with different guys. Had Sookie not felt guilty about killing Arlene's last man, she would have told her where to stick it, but as it stood, she felt like she owed Arlene something. Besides, Sookie felt the need to stay busy. Spending the day alone with her thoughts was almost as irritating as spending the day with everyone else's.

Sookie refused to let any man, whether it be human scum like Doug, or vampire scum like Bill, ruin her life anymore. Any signs of self neglect (the puffy eyes; the pale skin; the rapid weight loss and discolouration of her hair) had long since vanished. To the outside world, she seemed completely over the disappearance of Bill Compton. Even the black eye she had received from Doug's attack was healing nicely and slowly fading away. Sookie had refused to stay home from work or cover it up with make up- _she_ had nothing to be ashamed of. In fact, she was waiting for Doug to return to the bar, so she could demonstrate to him how little she cared about him. Unfortunately, he did not return, and for some reason, Sookie found this disturbing. Bon Temp was a small town, and everybody bumped into each other regularly, but worryingly, Doug was nowhere to be found. The idea that he had been so terrified of Eric that he had packed his bags and left was satisfying, but Sookie knew better. She didn't know how, but she just _knew_ that Eric had something to do with Doug's vanishing act. People didn't just decide to leave a fully furnished house, complete with a car in the drive way just because they had gotten a little drunk and had lost control. She wasn't _that_ gullible.

Sookie decided to listen in on the people in the bar. She had nothing else to do, because many people had decided to go elsewhere; some new bar was opening down in Shreveport, much to the dislike of Sam and Eric. Sam was no good for company either. All he was interested in was whether fragile little Sookie was okay, and whether she had been seeing Eric or not. Sookie chose to answer both questions with a cynical look. She was not nearly as weak as people thought she was (or at least she wouldn't admit it) and she did not want to talk about Eric- especially not with Sam.

Whilst listening in on the rather dull thoughts of the regulars, Sookie found herself wondering what had reduced men to such disgusting creatures. The old man in the corner (Phil maybe?) was staring at her, in the kind of way a dog stares at a piece of meat. In his head were rather graphic images of him bending her over the table and, well… _Ewww._

The strange little Chinese guy at the bar was thinking about his guinea pig, wondering if he had remembered to feed it. _Maybe I did. I almost certainly did. I remember, I did it after work. Shit. I didn't have work today… Lindy!_ With that, he abruptly rose from his stool and left the bar.

Tara was bitching inside her head about Arlene. _Crazy ass white girl. Gets to go fuck a different guy every night of the week and I'm stuck here doing her shift. I bet if I asked Sam he'd say no. Racist son-of-a-bitch. I 'aint his slave._ Suddenly Sookie understood why Tara had been scowling all night.

The other patron's heads were filled with similar harebrained notions, and eventually, Sookie replaced her barriers and blocked out their useless chatter. Though she had known that none of them would hold the answer to her mystery, she was still disappointed. Perhaps she had imagined the entire thing; maybe Doug had, in fact, left town, or was keeping his head down for a while. She felt a pang or guilt for suspecting the worst of Eric, yet again. He had been nothing but polite and friendly to her, and without him, Sookie doubted that she would have lasted the week. Even though she hadn't seen him since the night of the attack, she had been receiving constant text messages from him, telling her to _stay strong_ and _forget that pathetic excuse for a vampire_. As well as sending her messages of comfort, he was continually making sure that she was feeling better and that she was in no danger. Sookie once again found herself questioning Eric. What were his real motives for being nice to her? Did he think that by befriending her he could take advantage of her? For s second time that evening, she felt that familiar pang of guilt at judging Eric so harshly. Did a person need an excuse to be friends with another? No. She was being ridiculous, as always.

At the end of her shift, Sookie said goodbye to Sam and Tara, and left the bar by the back exit. She speedily made her was across the car lot towards her little yellow Honda Civic, the one ordinary thing in her ever changing life. Just as she was reaching for the door, she heard a rustling in the bushes behind her. It was so quiet that on any other night it could simply have been a soft breeze floating through the trees. Except it couldn't have been the wind, because tonight was another typically hot and sticky Bon Temp evening.

Sookie's heart started thumping erratically. She could feel it beating her chest, and throbbing in her head. It filled her ears, until she could no longer hear the rustling in the trees. All too quickly, her mouth was dry and sticking to itself, confirming to Sookie that it would be extremely difficult to release the scream that she could feel building up in her chest. A deeper part of her consciousness thought that the amount of times her life was being put in danger recently was getting ridiculous. The dominant part of her mind was preparing for fight or flight- she hadn't yet made up her mind. As her eyes scanned the darkness around her, she realised that trying to see whatever was there was pointless.

The rustling changed. It got closer. It was still coming.

Unexpectedly, Sookie felt a breeze on her face, as the blurred outline of a man ran past her at an unbelievable speed. There was someone behind her, and whoever it was wasn't human. Swallowing dryly, Sookie froze. Her breath came hard and fast, in pants and gasps, like she had just ran a marathon. She was dead, and she was slowly coming to accept that fact. She just attracted danger.

Sookie shivered as she felt a presence that was far too close to her. The person behind her leaned in closer, touching her ear with their very cold mouth.

"Did you miss me Sookie?"


	5. Eric's Secret

**Thanks for the reviews, it means as lot to me :) I kept receiving messages and reviews asking me "**_**who is it"**_** and "**_**I hope its [insert vampire of your choice here]**_**" and I was laughing all the through reading them, because ****I**** didn't even know who it was; I was still deciding. I just thought that it would be a good way to end that chapter. I have very few ideas and get easily confused, so cut me some slack eh'? If the Swedish is wrong I'm sorry, but I used a translator. I am learning Swedish though :) Disclaimer: I own nothing, but sue me all you like; I have nothing of value anyway :)**

It was wrong, teasing her like this. Had he a conscience, he might actually have cared, but as it was, Eric Northman found it entertaining. He could see her becoming increasingly flustered and it amused him, seeing Sookie so scared and vulnerable. It was quite the opposite of his precious encounters with her. He was familiar with the fearless Sookie Stackhouse- the Sookie who went after (and killed) serial killers; who infiltrated debauched organisations, and who slapped 1000 year old vampire sheriffs without a second thought. Laughing to himself, Eric thought that she was almost like his little _viking princessan_ (Viking Princess).

However, Eric was becoming progressively more worried about her wellbeing; in the previous weeks he had seen just how fragile and human she actually was. She had been targeted by the very serial killer that she had sought out; she had nearly been raped and killed at the Fellowship of the Sun; she had been beaten and even bitten, as well as a whole manner of other things. All of these things had lead up to her near rape by that pitiful bloodbag last week. What frightened him most was not the attraction she had to every evil thing in Louisiana; it was his growing urge to protect her. As soon as he had felt Sookie was in danger that night last week, he had left Fangtasia, without so much as a word to Pam. When he had heard her screaming his name in utter desperation, something inside of him exploded, and he doubled his already inhuman speed, needing to rescue her. Godric had stopped Sookie from being raped once before, and now that he was no longer around to aid Miss Stackhouse, Eric felt an obligation to ensure that his maker's effort had not been pointless.

It was all he could do to control himself. Vampires have very little restraint, and Eric even less. However, he managed to stop himself from ripping the human's throat out right there in the car- but Miss Stackhouse was wearing a beautiful white dress, and Eric thought that it would be such a shame to ruin its purity. Instead, he dragged the drunk from the car and threw him to the ground. His fangs had been out and ready since he had first heard Sookie's frantic calls and he was more than happy to sink his teeth in, until something stopped him… Sookie stopped him.

This _beast_ had attacked her. He had beaten her, and Eric was sure that he saw the beginnings of a black eye. This infuriated him- how **dare** he corrupt her human beauty! Is rising anger reached its climax when he saw that the dress he tried so eagerly to protect had been ripped by the human's embarrassing attempts to strip Sookie of her clothes. He had injured her and degraded her, and yet she _still_ defended him.

Eric turned to face Sookie, searching in her face for some kind of answer- a reason for him to show mercy to this pathetic scumbag. Her eyes, so deep with mixed emotions and hidden meanings, showed Eric that she too was drunk. Her beautiful blue eyes were glassy and distant, offering him no answers to his questions. Through the blood bond he could feel her dissipating fear and embarrassment; he could also feel pity and… love? Eric pushed this aside- love was a useless human emotion. Miss Stackhouse was merely pleased that he had rescued her. When he could not decipher her thoughts and feelings, he asked: "Give me one good reason to show him mercy, Sookie."

Sookie looked confused. Eric could feel her desperately searching for an answer.

"Because I asked you to."

For a moment longer he gripped the human's throat, and then he released it, still keeping his eyes on the most perplexing being he had ever met. Perhaps the she had had a bit too much alcohol, and it was affecting her judgement. Deciding on that conclusion, he picked her up, as gently as he could, to avoid any further injury, and transported her home. She looked a mess, yet she still possessed her usual beauty. A beautiful disaster.

He placed Sookie down upon her bed, as softly as he had lifted her at the beginning of their journey. Once she was safe in her bed, Eric stood at the foot of the bed and watched her. She looked distressed that he had left her side, and he could feel her despair growing through the blood bond. She was so scared to be alone- she needed him. As tears welled up in Sookie's eyes, a red mist covered Eric's eyes, and sure enough, huge crimson tears slid down his face and onto the floor. He felt everything she did, though he doubted that he felt it in such intensity as she undoubtedly did. He longed to help her, to comfort her, but all he could do was lie on the bed with her, trying in vain to stop his tears from falling onto her sheets.

For hours he watched her. He loved the way her body would slowly rise and fall with each breath; something he had not properly witnessed of fully appreciated in centuries. He loved the way the light made her sparkle and shimmer. An angel. He gently stroked her arm, feeling her warmth and her goosebumps. At the latter, he wrapped her up in her quilt.

Rather reluctantly, he realised that it was nearing dawn, and as much as he wished to stay by her side, he could not. As he rose, Eric felt like he was failing her by leaving her in her hour of need. He knew that this was being displayed on his face, and to save Sookie more heartbreak or worry, he covered it up with a wink. The sad smile on her face broke his heart of stone. If could have taken her pain away at that moment, he would have. She didn't need the hassle of this attack on top of Bill's disappearance.

On his run home, more tears fell as he felt guilty for causing Sookie so much hurt. Though he had saved her from attacks repeatedly, he was causing her more pain than imaginable with the secret he was keeping from her. Sleeping deep, in his hidden resting place, Eric had beautiful dreams of Sookie Stackhouse, occasionally interrupted by nightmares.

Nightmares of Bill Compton, because Eric Northman knew where he was. He had known all along.


	6. Eric's Winning

**One of my reviewers- Laney: "Is it just me, or is our Viking just too sexy; no matter if he's coming to our girls rescue, or being a very bad secretive boy?" Yes indeed, Eric Northman is far too sexy for his own good (; Sorry to disappoint those of you who wanted the figure in the woods to be Bill, but it felt too soon for him to come back. I don't like him that much anyway to be frank. I have no beta reader, so all foolish mistakes (usually spelling and grammar) are my own. I own none of the characters or setting etc, please don't sue me (: By the way, Christmas is coming up, and I would highly appreciate my own Eric Northman. Thank you Santa (: [This chapter picks up at the end of the fourth one, enjoy.]**

Eric had taken his time approaching Sookie, leaving her in suspense just that little bit longer.

"Eric you **creep**! How could you scare me like that?" screamed Sookie. All fear had been quickly replaced with anger. She was in no mood to be tormented as he had just tormented her; she was through with playing childish games (which usually put her life in danger). Feeling so stupid for assuming that Eric could be anything _but_ Eric, Sookie spun to face him and slapped him straight across that narcissistic face of his. Her hand made a tremendous noise as it connected with his left cheek, and had he been a man, Sookie would have been satisfied that she had caused him a reasonable amount of pain and embarrassment. However, Eric _was_ a vampire, and Sookie only succeeded in injuring herself, and giving _him _the satisfaction of seeing her face redden, though she hoped that her flushed cheeks were concealed by the obscurity of the car park. Unfortunately, she was not so lucky.

"Fancy seeing you here Sookie! Life is full of coincidences, isn't it?" he announced with false enthusiasm. "You really ought to be more careful lover, you might injure yourself" he added, looking towards her hand in particular. If any other man had uttered this sentence, Sookie would have believed him, but she could tell by Eric's patronising voice and over confident smirk that he was just taking the piss. Sookie realised that she had been right to judge Eric so quickly before. People never change. He was still the same cold, egocentric bastard he had always been. Whatever spark of humanity that she thought she had seen there had been but a figment of her imagination. Eric Northman cared for no one, definitely not for a human, and definitely not for her.

"What do you want Eric?" Sookie asked with much more repugnance than she had intended. She refused to listen to the guilty little pang in her chest, and kept her chin high and her face neutral. "Have you got nothing better to do than scare me? Your life must be even more pathetic than I first thought." Now that was a step too far, and Sookie knew it. She was certain that a look of remorse crossed her near healed features. She felt the sharp throb in her face (just below where Doug had hit her) as she involuntarily frowned, and she gasped. Even though she was healing nicely, her face still ached from time to time. Sam thought that this was amusing; for the past couple of weeks he had been calling her 'face ache' due to the miserable expression on her face, and now her face literally ached. _Ha-ha._

Eric must have seen her sudden intake of breath, because concern crossed his face and he opened his lips to speak. Once again, Sookie cut him off. "Don't act like you care Eric. You couldn't care less- admit it. You just want to stick around and laugh at me. Poor little Sookie, everyone who ever loved her died or left. I am sick of vampires acting like they care about me. Just because Bill used me it doesn't mean you can too." Sookie really didn't know where this sudden outburst had came from; she didn't hate Eric, but for some reason she wanted to hurt him. She wanted him to feel all the pain she was feeling. She wanted to hurt _Bill_, to scream at him for not coming to rescue her. Bill wasn't here though, and Eric was just… there. Wrong place, wrong time. It was ridiculous; Eric had been there for her all week and she was treating him like shit. Sookie felt her cheeks grow warm as they began to blush with shame.

"Sookie… I am sorry if I scared you. You must excuse my bizarre sense of humour- I am a vampire, we find the most peculiar things entertaining. I would appreciate your forgiveness, although it is not entirely necessary; to be frank, I care little of human opinions." He paused, and Sookie was speechless. He seemed so genuine that she was certain he was telling the truth. Those striking blue eyes fixed upon her face and she felt that she could see right down into his heart. He slowly reached down to her hand at human speed, taking care not to startle her. Sookie gasped for a second time as his cold but flawless skin came into contact with hers; his coolness was such a relief from the sticky heat of the night. Sookie longed to cool herself down; to press her body against his; to feel skin against skin. He gently lifted her hand up to his perfect lips, and kissed the back of her hand. His mouth was so gorgeous, so soft, so inviting. Sookie was sure that her emotions were clear across her face, and that Eric knew exactly what she was thinking but she no longer cared. Eric was perfect. He made her feel special, even if it was unintentional. _He_ wouldn't hurt her. _He_ wouldn't lie to her. He was so much better than Bill. He was older, stronger, and wiser. He even tasted better, Sookie mused as she thought back to Dallas and how she had been tricked into drinking from him. Eric was intoxicating- how had she only just noticed.

Eric stood before her, his lips still pressed softly against her limp hand. He gazed into her eyes, also lost in thought. She stared back, and in that second, Sookie became aware of something that was very, very bad.

_She was in love with Eric._

Throwing all of her barriers back up, Sookie made her face go blank as she pushed Eric away. He didn't resist her rejection, but instead chose to look wounded before he too threw up his guards. She could not love Eric. 1) He did not love her in return. 2) He was a vampire sheriff- it would be dangerous for her. 3) Part of her still loved Bill, and she still hoped for his return.

Clearing his throat, Eric began, "Sookie, I have a favour to ask of you. One of Pam's humans has gone missing. She thinks that perhaps he has had enough of her, but I believe otherwise. Her pet was around Fangtasia often and knew far too much for his own good. I am afraid that he may have known something that could pose a threat to my business or my position in the vampire hierarchy. My attempts to track him down have been fruitless and I am forced to turn to you. I need you to come to Fangtasia after work tomorrow and listen to some people's thoughts for me. Of course you will be paid for your services."

"Sure Eric- you don't even have to ask, I owe you one. And please do not refer to it as 'being paid for my services'; it makes me sound like a fangbanger." Sookie replied quietly.

"Until tomorrow, lover" Eric announced before speeding away from Merlotte's as fast as he had arrived. Sookie was left to say farewell to the darkness around her as a battle was fought inside her head. Bill vs. Eric. What scared her was that she thought Eric was winning.


	7. The Dream

**Okay, first of all, I really must apologise for the wait. I realise my fanfic is rubbish, but nevertheless, I feel guilty for leaving it this long to update. All of my teachers suddenly decided to spring coursework deadlines on me, which made this my second priority. Also, ridiculous teenage dramas keep popping up, making my life FAR too hectic for my liking. Then, I got all of the Southern Vampire Mystery Books, (but read them in a couple of days). If you haven't already done so, BUY THEM. I promise to update at least once a fortnight from now on (preferably more). Thankyou to all of my readers, and hugs and kisses to my reviewers… Remember folks, reviews make me happy and more likely to update fast (: Once again, I own absolutely nothing, wish I owned a certain vampire, and maybe one day I will (btw Santa, you forgot what I wanted *pouts*) Enjoy(: …**

It wasn't often that Sookie got the privilege of sleeping in so late, but today was one of those days.

Having returned home the previous evening exhausted, Sookie first settled down into fitful nightmares, which left her desperately and unreasonably upset.

The nightmare consisted of Sookie being alone in a dark forest, full of twisted, bare trees and disgusting mud. It was raining heavily, and Sookie became aware that all she was wearing was her grandmother's old white nightgown; it was definitely going to turn see through, Sookie realised. She was running as fast as she possible could; both _away_ from something and _towards_ something at the same time. She could barely keep ahead of her pursuer, and she was having extreme difficulty finding what she was looking for; both of these things put her on edge. Eventually, after much running and stumbling (during which time the entity behind nearly caught her), Sookie came to a clearing full of tree stumps with Bill stood amongst them, getting soaked by the persistent downpour. Naturally, she ran up to him and held him as tight as she possible could, but he did not respond. He simply stood frozen into place, as still as a statue, looking past her- looking through her. Sookie turned to see what he was looking at, but this was a difficult task in itself, as the rain had plastered her hair over her face. Her gut wrenched as she wondered if the person behind her had finally caught up. Spinning around, Sookie saw a female vampire. She had a tiny frame, and beautifully pale, flawless skin that contrasted dramatically with her dark hair. Her eyes were almost the colour of pitch and her long fangs were extended; she had dried blood smeared down her white dress. Swiftly and silently she approached Bill, stopping only to momentarily snarl at Sookie. When she reached Bill, they shared a passionate embrace as well as an all-too-public display of affection.

That was when Sookie heard footsteps on the path behind her… it seemed that she had finally been caught. Being unable to watch Bill and his vampire whore any longer, Sookie swung herself around to meet the shadow emerging from the tree line. Unfortunately, Sookie slipped in the mud at that moment, and began crashing towards the ground, adding insult to injury. Luckily for her however, her pursuer caught her mid-fall, and held her close to him, protecting her. Eric.

He was wearing nothing except some white sweats- not even shoes. Taking in the scene behind Sookie, his face flashed between various emotions: anger; disappointment; triumph. As he turned to look back down at Sookie, his beautiful features settled on pity. As Sookie absentmindedly realised that she no longer cared what Bill was doing, she took the opportunity to take in Eric's beauty. All too soon, she was snapped out of her wonderings by her angel (Eric) speaking.

"I tried to stop you lover, but you squirmed and ran. I did not want you to find out like this. Come my child, I will love you."

He rose from the ground and lifted Sookie into the air with him, and despite the fact that Sookie knew she should feel betrayed, heartbroken, and possibly even scared, in Eric's arms she felt safe. She felt loved.

The nightmare ended like that, and Sookie awoke with her heart pounding, drenched in sweat- and the dream hadn't even been _that_ scary. After a minute or two, she drifted back off, erasing the memory of the woman's twisted face as she snarled; she didn't stir again until four o'clock in the afternoon the following day.


	8. Help Me Eric

So updating once a fortnight failed miserably. School got in the way, BlahBlahBlah. I'll update when I can, but I don't want my writing to suffer because I'm rushing to get chapters up. I might also be starting a second fanfic soon. Hope you enjoy this chapter, and remember that reviews and suggestions make me happy :D *NoteToSelf: Find A Beta. Bon Appetit.

When Sookie had done all of her usual beautifying rituals (shower, shave, curl hair) she scrutinized over what to wear. Once again, she wanted to make a good impression on Eric; to dress up a little bit. On the other hand, she thought, covering her assets might be an even better idea seeing as she now realized that her feelings for Eric were a lot more than friendly. Sookie looked at herself in the mirror. She saw a pretty young woman with a lost look in her eyes. It was this look that made her realize that she was unstable at the moment, and that leading the Viking God on would be bad for her. Well, at least that's how she justified it to herself.

Sookie decided to kill some time and watch some television before dark. She very quickly changed her mind after watching some lame vampire chat show. Today's topic? "My vampire lover used me and left me. I guess I'm just a fangbanger". The poor girl in question was a young, pale, blond girl with a frightened expression on her face. Her heart wrenching tale made Sookie cry, as it was all too familiar to her. The tears came fast and thick, and soon enough she was out of control. As the light outside faded from pink to black, Sookie fought to get herself under control. Hoping that some fresh air would clear her mind, Sookie grabbed her bag and got in her rickety old car. _Damn it,_ she thought to herself. Sookie did her best not to use curse words because she was raised to be a proper young lady by her beloved Gran,but she had left her jacket at home, and it was always freezing in Fangtasia. They probably did that to keep the fangbangers from sweating all over the furniture, she mused. Yuck.

And that was exactly how Sookie came to be at the staff entrance of Fangtasia, wearing the her woolliest, most shapeless cardigan, shivering cold, with make-up smeared down her face from the tears. She felt her anger dissipating and turning into nervousness. Being alone with Eric was not a good idea, and Sookie prayed that Pam never left Eric's side. Somehow she doubted that scenario. Sookie let herself into the bar and made her way to Eric's office. Along the way she felt her familiar nervousness pulling her face into a grin.

"Why, Lover, you shouldn't have made such an effort" Eric sniggered.

"Fuck you, Eric" Sookie quickly retorted.

"Please do." This phrase was accompanied by his trademark 'im-so-perfect' smile.

"Can we please just get down to business Eric? I am not in the mood tonight, which you obviously noticed and so tactfully pointed out." Sookie decided that she should swallow her pride and not let Eric see that he bothered her. Starving him of attention was the equivalent of Kryptonite. Also, he brought out a side of her that she wasn't sure she liked- a feisty, sometimes even bitchy side.

"Of course lover. Here are the facts. One of Pam's pets has disappeared. I tell her all the time not to keep these pathetic humans, but she never listens. Her latest play-thing is called Todd. He likes black PVC," Eric added unnecessarily, with an amused expression on his face. He clearly found Pam's habits entertaining. "Lately he has been following Pam around the bar a lot, practically living here at Fangtasia. That was extremely irritating. A couple of days ago however, Pam's pet did not come in, which I found VERY suspicious. She however dismissed my theories, telling me that over one thousand years of life had gotten to me and that I was going senile. I am asking that you so whatever it is that you do to some bar staff, et your money, and then go home. Do we have a deal?"

"I don't want your money Eric. Help me. Help me find Bill."


	9. I'm Staying

"We will discuss this later Sookie. Now, we get down to business… Ginger!"

Eric's manner had changed dramatically as soon as Bill's name had left Sookie's lips. After dating Bill for some time, Sookie had learned how to interpret the minute changes in the posture and facial expressions of vampires. Although most vampires liked to consider themselves completely void of human emotions, a small part of them still felt things: love, hate, anger… perhaps it was an instinct that they couldn't help. A survival skill? What Sookie had noticed was Eric immediately stiffen and his face go blank. His eyes narrowed too. Eric was clearly (at least to Sookie) uncomfortable and keeping something from her. She filed this piece of information away for later.

Putting on her best smile Sookie said "Well sure, Eric. Is this the Ginger I met before?"

Her answer was an almost imperceptible nod. Typical Eric, straight down to business. Ginger the waitress sauntered in, swinging her hips provocatively. She was always so keen to catch Eric's attention.

"Hi there Ginger, you remember me?" Sookie was here for a reason, and she wanted to be gone as soon as possible, but that was no excuse for her to forget her manners. She was, however, met with a blank stare. _Glamoured_ she realised. It was such a shame that Ginger didn't remember her; she seemed like such a nice person. It was this kind of thing that made Sookie doubt human/vampire relationships. If this was the way vampires treated their friends and colleagues, then how on earth did they treat their companions? Sookie expected that most human/vampire relationships were based on a platform of lust, lie and glamouring. Once again Sookie was grateful that she couldn't be glamoured. Realising that she had been staring for far too long (and being able to hear that she was beginning to worry Ginger), Sookie decided to begin.

"Alright now, Ginger. You just take my hand and try to relax now."

_Do I have to touch her? This is creeping me out. All Pam said I had to do was come in here and answer some questions. Didn't say nothing about touching no hussy. Well, I guess if Eric wants me to do it, I will._

"Now Ginger, do you remember Pam's… uhm… companion, Todd? Did you know him?"

"Sure."

_That was no 'companion' Miss Lah-dee-dah. He was a fangbanger if I ever saw one._

"When did you last see him?"

"I…I…I…" Ginger's brows knitted together in confusion.

_Todd. He's seeing Pam isn't he? Feeding her more like… I wonder if Eric likes me? He's so gorgeous…_

There were gaps in Ginger's memory. It was like someone had gone in and blended her mind. Poor girl. Just trying to remember was hurting her.

"That's okay Ginger, you can relax. You can go now."

An assertive cough came from the corner; Eric letting her know that he was in charge, and he wasn't amused.

"I **said** she's done now Eric."

Ginger looked questioningly at Eric who continued to stare menacingly at Sookie. Finally, after a long pause, he nodded stiffly towards the door. Ginger took one last glance at Sookie before exiting the office.

_I don't see why he likes her so much. She doesn't look like anything special and yet he's starin' at her like she's God's greatest fucking creation._

"What the fuck was that? I will tell you when you are done."

"Calm down Eric. Jeez, sometimes you really overreact. What's the matter hmmm? You feeling a little hormonal?" Sookie giggled. She was feeling giddy; Eric always had this effect on her. "She didn't know anything. She'd also been glamoured too many times, and as a result was of very little use to me."

Eric decided to drop the subject. "You are very beautiful when you smile, Sookie. I must say that I haven't seen you smile in a long time. I like it."

Sookie was gobsmacked. "Well; thank you Eric. Shall we continue?" this topic was making her feel uncomfortable, and guilty that she was smiling whilst Bill was gone. The invisible bond that had joined her to him was fading fast, and she could feel tears misting up her vision again.

"**Please** do not cry, lover," Eric half-begged from across the desk, but it was already too late. As she felt the first tear fall down her cheek, she witnessed Eric's first bloody tear fall too. The bond. She had forgotten which made her feel even worse. His crimson tears fell down onto his beautiful (and no doubt expensive) shirt, and he let out a pissed off sigh. Unbuttoning his shirt extremely quickly, Eric revealed a gorgeous, well sculpted body. He had smooth and flawless skin covering every inch of his well toned upper body. His abs were simply perfect, and led down toward his pants where… Sookie had to fight to control herself.

"Now that is more like it Miss Stackhouse," Eric declared with a cheeky wink which made her giggle like a school girl. "Back down to business. Oh, and Sookie…?"

"Yes, Eric?"

"Please try and concentrate on the matter at hand. I realise I am irresistible, but this is important." That made them both grin.

For once his arrogance was justified. Tearing her eyes away from Eric's body was extremely difficult. Luckily for Sookie, she had years of practice in the art of ignoring useless and unhelpful stuff. The next candidate was a handsome young mad dressed only in some skin tight black jeans. He didn't even have any shoes on.

"Sookie, this is… (at this point Eric let out a disgusted sigh) 'Midnight Stallion'" Sookie couldn't repress her laughter. The man gave her a sharp 'stop-laughing-at-me' look so Sookie abruptly stopped sniggering.

"Is that his birth name?" Sookie was suddenly afraid that she'd insulted him.

"Obviously not, but he refuses to tell us his real name. Even when I glamour him he insists he's called 'Midnight Stallion'. The poor bastard must have convinced himself it's really his name.

Sookie began the routine of listening in on 'Midnight Stallion'. She took his hand and let her barriers down. Immediately she heard his voice and tried to concentrate.

"What is your real name, because I am not calling you 'Midnight Stallion'."

"Well that's tough shit isn't it?"

Sookie barely heard him think the words _Glenn Martin_ before Eric was pinning him to the floor. "You will respect Miss Stackhouse if you value your life!"

"Eric, calm down. His name's Glenn. And for God's sake put a shirt on! I can't concentrate!"

That changed Eric's mood dramatically. "well lover, we can always stay after hours to work out your frustrations." Cheeky wink.

_Ooooh, so she's his new piece of meat. Lucky bitch. First I have to compete with Todd, now her. Pffftt._

"I'll have you know that I am not his new 'piece of meat' and he is all yours. Did you kill Todd because he fancied your eye candy, Glenn?" she purposefully stretched out his name.

Glenn looked back in utter horror. Shit. Sookie had answered back to something he hadn't even said out loud.

_What the fuck. Kill Todd? Seems like a good idea though, why didn't I think of that? And who the fuck is this crazy voodoo lady? I'm out of here…_

"You will go when I tell you to go. Seeing as I am the boss' 'piece of meat', you will listen to me." Eric gave her a peculiar look, like he was analysing her… trying to figure her out.

He doesn't know where Todd went, although he sure as hell wanted him dead. I don't think he did it but I'd fire him anyway." When Eric raised a questioning eyebrow, Sookie explained, "He thought some mean things about me."

"As you wish, Sookie" (Eric was grinning now, amused at something) "Glenn… Fuck off. I ever see you here again, I'll rip your head off. Oh, and apologise to Miss Stackhouse."

After muttering a swift apology, 'Midnight Stallion' left the office and returned to whatever sick activities he had planned with various vampires.

"Both him and Todd like you, and seeing as Todd was a lot closer to you, he was very jealous. I didn't hear anything though. Didn't feel anything too malicious."

Eric was not listening. He was busy posing, and flexing him muscles, obviously trying to get another outburst from Sookie. Perhaps he would get one, because Sookie was mesmerised.

"How arrogant are you, Eric?"

Eric was all too quickly in front of Sookie. I am whatever you want me to be, lover. After all, you are my 'piece of meat' as you so tastefully put it." His half naked body was pressed against hers, and she could feel his coolness seeping through her clothes to her body. She was so hot in this office, and the contrast felt amazing. Sookie realised that Eric would be able to feel her pleasure through the bond, but she didn't care. All she cared about at that moment in time was his beautiful, piercing blue eyes. Damn those eyes she thought.

He was getting closer now, leaning in. _Ohmygosh. He's going to kiss me_. Sookie didn't understand why she wasn't backing away or at least protesting. And why was Eric taking so long? Was he playing with her? Did he enjoy seeing her so powerless to stop him?

The sound of a throat clearing itself from the doorway snapped her out of her trance, and she took a large step away from Eric.

"I hope I'm not interrupting, master."

Pam. Sookie had never thought that she would be so pleased to see Pam.

"Du veta mycket väl så pass du var , du dum barnen. Nu , torka så pass leende bort din möta framför jag gör den till deras." Eric was furious and it terrified Sookie. Pam also looked shell-shocked. Well, as surprised as a vampire can look.

"I am sorry master. I just came to inform you that our last interviewee has disappeared."

"Maxxy? Damn it Pam! You and Chow search the area… NOW!"

"Wait Pam," Sookie was curious, "When you say disappeared, you mean…?"

"He was in the stockroom. The door was locked and guarded and there was no other way out. That was ten minutes ago; now he is gone." Pam seemed grateful that Sookie had given her a chance to explain that it wasn't her fault.

"Like…_poof_?"

Sookie's choice of words obviously amused Pam. With a smirk she replied, "_Poof_".

"That is no excuse Pam. People do not disappear into thin air. Leave." Eric was beyond pissed off, and Sookie wondered whether it was because his prisoner had gone missing or because Pam had interrupted them.

Pam slammed the door on the way out, and Eric sat back behind his desk, holding his head in his hands. Sookie was confused. Why did this 'Maxxy' mean so much to him? Eric answered her unspoken question after a few minutes of tense silence.

"something is going wrong, Sookie. People are planning against me. The sheriffs of three other areas have gone missing. I fear that I may be next." He raised his eyes to meet hers. "This is not your problem however. Maxxy was the last person I needed you to interview, and as he is otherwise engaged, you are free to leave." He said the last part with a small sigh.

Glancing at the clock, Sookie saw that it was only eleven o'clock. "Eric, you are selfish and sneaky and scheming, and hundreds of other things. But you are also my friend, whether you like it or not. Friends don't leave friends in their hour of need."

Eric raised his eyes to meet hers once again, and then Sookie could see the strain of on thousand years written on his face.

"I'm staying."


	10. I'm SO Sorry NOT STORY

**Good news is, I typed up my chapter. Bad news is, it didn't save. I REALLY cant be bothered retyping it at the moment, but I'm on exam leave, so expect it this week. I have to apologise for my AWFUL swedish in previous chapters, I am trying to teach myself, but I'm using an online translator for my fanfic, and obviously it failed. I'm considering doing a Vampire Diaries 'Delena' Fanfic, whatcha' think? Ima' draft a chapter this week and upload it around the same time as I update this one.**

**Sorry the computer hates me ):**

**Love, Kristen 3  
**


	11. His Mistakes

EPOV

"You're staying?" he asked, raising a questioning eyebrow. He thought about her offer for a moment. Eric had little care for humans and their petty emotions, but Sookie was… different. She was almost too kind; too selfless; too _good_. He really wanted her to stay, now would be the perfect time to 'make his move'. Something was niggling in the back of his mind- guilt? No; that was impossible. He was merciless, ruthless, and guiltless. _She pities you. She thinks that you're in the same boat: lost and alone. But you know where he is, don't you? You've known all this time. Hey, next time she asks, why don't you just take her straight to him… it shouldn't take long. Just put her out of her misery._

"Sookie, I need neither your sympathy nor your pity. You can leave."

"Well it's a good job that I'm not offering you my pity. I'm offering you my _company_. Just sitting here in your office is better than sitting alone at home thinking about Bill…" her voice broke ever so slightly, but with his super-hearing he noticed it. The niggle was back. Despite his inner turmoil, Eric smiled at her. It wasn't his usual 'come hither' grin either; it was a genuine smile that lit up the office. He didn't understand this human. She was something different altogether, and this intrigued him greatly. Eric's niggle had crawled back under whatever rock it had appeared from, and the pair just sat opposite each other in silence. He could see her looking at him, analyzing him, and he decided to do the same.

The harsh fluorescent lighting of the office shone on her hair, illuminating each individual golden strand, giving the impression that her hair was emitting a heavenly glow. Her long lashes were a few shades darker and framed those beautiful eyes of hers. Her tanned skin also brought some much needed colour to the otherwise bleak office. Eric even catalogued the gentle rise and fall of her bosom whilst she breathed… it was magnificent. It often made him want to reach out and… _And what? _He asked himself. Humans were food; sometimes they were entertainment, but that was all. Why did this one girl have him so enchanted? _She's the forbidden fruit, that's why, _he justified to himself. He didn't believe that explanation one bit.

He broke the silence first. They'd been staring at each other for too long, and his thoughts were spinning around in his head, attacking him. _You __love__ her. Big Bad Eric has fallen for a human_. He had a lot on his plate at the moment, and he didn't need any more grief.

"So, Ms Stackhouse, what do you want to do on this wonderful evening? A picnic? The theatre? Me?" He added a cocky wink on the end- the ladies always loved that. Sookie however just rolled her eyes in amusement.

"Uhm'… I'm okay actually Eric. I don't want to interrupt you busy schedule, I'll just sit here."

"Nonsense. With all that's going on, I've been looking for an excuse to leave this godforsaken place. We will inform Pam of our departure, then we will leave for dinner…"

"Eric, you don't have t-"

"…and before you say that you're not hungry, you should know that I can hear your stomach growling at me from here. You should also know that it is a very unattractive sound." He watched her hesitate, and then he watched that beautiful blush creep into her cheeks.

"Food it is then," she replied with an embarrassed smile. Eric lead Sookie into the main area of Fangtasia. He called it 'the zoo'.

"Stay here" he told Sookie as he left her at the bar and went to tell Pam that they were leaving.

Leaving Sookie at the bar was his first mistake.

SPOV

Sookie smiled as she watched Eric disappear into the pulsing crowd. She had made the right decision in staying. Eric was a strong man, a strong vampire. He was both mentally and physically more able that most. Over one thousand years of cruel, unforgiving existence had meant that his heart… his soul had been surrounded with a layer of rock. Cold rock that defended him from the outside, and minimized the liability of his weaknesses. But over time, and under pressure, rocks wear away, and recently chips had been breaking away from his hard exterior, and Sookie had seen it with her own eyes. He was becoming more 'human' every day. The wearing away of stone had also exposed him and his weaknesses, and right now Sookie felt like he needed her to be there for him, to protect him.

All around her, Sookie could feel the pressure of minds, such perverted minds. Her shields had gotten weaker, and the thoughts intruded on her. Sookie was helpless to stop them. Useless pieces of information flooded her mind, overwhelming her to the point of exhaustion. In an attempt to tune out all of the sexually charged thoughts, Sookie concentrated on the vampire bartender (Rochelle), and at first it worked. _Silence_. Then…

…snooping around. I'd better warn Alistair before that stupid bitch finds out that he took Todd. Sookie's world began to crumble.

_NoNoNo!_ She screamed internally. She had intercepted a vampire's thoughts, and that was a very, very bad thing. Rochelle was looking at her now, not because she knew, but because Sookie was acting strangely. Her heart was beating against her chest, her palms were sweaty and she was sure that the room was spinning. In fact, Sookie was even gasping for air. In her panic, Sookie let her guards back down and the minds around her hit like a tidal wave: powerful and destructive. Then the room turned black.

When she woke up, she was on the sofa back in Eric's office. Confused as to how she had gotten there. Sookie tried sitting up, black spots clouded her vision and she was overcome with a wave of nausea.

"Easy there, you so not want to further damage yourself." The blurred image of Eric came into view as he knelt beside her. "That's quite a nasty lump as it is."

"Lump?" Actually, now that she thought about it her head did hurt. "What happened?"

"Well, I was arguing with Pam about whether I was leaving. I won by the way. Anyway, I felt you panicking and turned to help you. Unfortunately, the vermin that occupy this place prevented me from reaching you before you passed out and cracked your head off of the bar. They've all gone home now. I doubt they'll come back again. What happened lover?"

"I can't tell you Eric. We both have enough on out plates without the Queen of Louisiana getting involved."

"The Queen?" Eric's eyes were wide, and all amusement vanished instantly. "Sookie, tell me what happened." His voice was so soft that she might have thought that he was trying to glamour her. "Friends don't leave friends, Sookie. You told me that. I am here for you. I will protect you." Sookie could see the desperation in his face, hear it in his voice, and feel it in the air all around her. Her eyes burned with tears as she realized that she needed to tell somebody. _Damn it Bill! Where are you?_ Finally, she caved.

"Can you keep a secret?"

Saying yes was his second mistake of the evening.


End file.
